Behind The Mask turns 31

[bwboy]

I agree with a lot of what was already said here- BTM sounds more like a group album than anything they had done since Rumours, absolutely. Fleetwood Mac had 3 incredible voices, so why not let them all be heard on as many songs as possible? So hearing Stevie, Billy, and Rick on Skies the Limit is just awesome and a real joy. Hearing Christine and Stevie on In the Back of My Mind sends chills up my spine and is so much more effective. BTM is an album I can listen to from start to finish. I can’t do that on Tusk, Mirage, or Tango. I also agree Stevie comes off the worst, but at least her songs aren’t awful... just not as good as everyone else’s, that’s all. I guess I’m in the minority with my love for Do You Know, Hard Feelings, and When It Comes to Love- they’re so good with beautiful harmonies. Save Me and Skies the Limit are outstanding, so I don’t understand how they weren’t bigger hits, except that radio was changing at that time. Also always surprised Skies wasn’t performed live.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by bwboy

I agree with a lot of what was already said here- BTM sounds more like a group album than anything they had done since Rumours, absolutely. Fleetwood Mac had 3 incredible voices, so why not let them all be heard on as many songs as possible? So hearing Stevie, Billy, and Rick on Skies the Limit is just awesome and a real joy. Hearing Christine and Stevie on In the Back of My Mind sends chills up my spine and is so much more effective. BTM is an album I can listen to from start to finish. I can’t do that on Tusk, Mirage, or Tango. I also agree Stevie comes off the worst, but at least her songs aren’t awful... just not as good as everyone else’s, that’s all. I guess I’m in the minority with my love for Do You Know, Hard Feelings, and When It Comes to Love- they’re so good with beautiful harmonies. Save Me and Skies the Limit are outstanding, so I don’t understand how they weren’t bigger hits, except that radio was changing at that time. Also always surprised Skies wasn’t performed live.

When I was in college and had no life, I lived in a small college town in PA. The radio sucked and they had this adult contemporary station that aired a Dick Clark top 40 adult contemporary songs. The only time I heard Skies the Limit on the radio was on this countdown show. I would listen every week because like most top 40 countdown shows, they provide little facts or trivia about the songs or band. Believe it or not but Skies the Limit made it into the top 10 of this countdown show. So I have remembered the little known facts about this era. For example, the band obviously was disappointed in the album sales and lack of commercial success. Skies the Limit was not originally on the album. I believe BTM was originally the opening track. But after the album was finished, the band thought the album was way too dark. It needed that Christine peppy love song. So Christine wrote Skies the Limit very quickly and it was recorded last and it was slapped as the first track of the album trying to soften the dark mood. I am not sure it worked in the end but I love Skies the Limit besides the harmonies. I love hearing Christine play keyboards and the crack of the drums are so freaking cool. Music video shot at Red Rocks. I was surprised Save Me tanked without even making the top 20. But then again we all thought As Long As You Follow would be a #1 song and it did not even make top 40. Fleetwood Mac was a washed up band in 1990. Even their Farewell Tour in late 1990 had tons of empty seats. When I saw them at the Pittsburgh Civic arena in November 1990, the entire balcony of the arena was empty. They even dropped Save Me from the set and replaced it with Say You Love me when I saw them. Stevie and Chris wore the shortest skirts of their career on this tour. I sat behind Chris and could not believe how beautiful her legs were. Skin was in. The last days of the 80's vixens.

BTW, did I mention how good Christine's keyboard playing is on this album. OMG, I wish there was a stripped down version of Save Me with ONLY her keyboards. She is on fire. She also does an amazing keyboard on Do You Know. When I would drive listening to When It Comes To Love and Do You Know in my car, I would try to harmonize with Chris and Billy. Of course I ruined the song every time but I did not care.

Also, as much as Stevie tried to hint Madonna stole her look, Stevie stole Madonna's look by sporting a crucifix in Save Me. Honey, you were about 4 years too late.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or1VPIanDlw

[bwboy]

Thanks for the link to the video, Macfan4life- it’s been years since I’ve seen the video to Save Me, and it was a great blast from the past. I’d forgotten how much Christine had improved when it came to performing for the camera... she was really doing a great job in the close ups of selling the song. And she was beautiful, too. I’d say she was even prettier than Stevie. Watching Rick play guitar was incredible, man he was so good! After Save Me, Skies the Limit came on and that was also an underrated song and video. Again, Christine looked stunning, and this time Stevie looked much better, and so good in white! Loved the scene with all 4 singers singing in profile- yes! That’s what made FM so damn good, those voices in harmony.

Thanks again, Macfan!

[jbrownsjr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTkQ5lG4Sv8

[jbrownsjr]

I really enjoyed this album when it came out. I was a bit heartbroken when LB left. But, I was elated that they were able to carry on without him.

This tour was one of the best I've ever seen. They played their asses off.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTkQ5lG4Sv8

Great video. I could never understand MTV NEVER played Skies the Limit video. It was only aired on Vh1. MTV did play the hell out of Save Me and if my memory is correct it even landed in their top 10 video countdown. MTV also never played As Long As You Follow either. As a fan I could never understand this. I clearly see they saw the songs more adult contemporary and a better fit for Vh1. However, the Mac was a classic band and just years before had their Mac Attack Tango special. Clearly not getting played on MTV also hurt the popularity of these songs.

Back in the day, Vh1 played classic videos and more adult contemporary stuff. MTV played the current pop/rock stuff.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Great video. I could never understand MTV NEVER played Skies the Limit video. It was only aired on Vh1. MTV did play the hell out of Save Me and if my memory is correct it even landed in their top 10 video countdown. MTV also never played As Long As You Follow either. As a fan I could never understand this. I clearly see they saw the songs more adult contemporary and a better fit for Vh1. However, the Mac was a classic band and just years before had their Mac Attack Tango special. Clearly not getting played on MTV also hurt the popularity of these songs.

Back in the day, Vh1 played classic videos and more adult contemporary stuff. MTV played the current pop/rock stuff.

Christine really had her look going on. She's looks amazing in some of these videos.

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Christine really had her look going on. She's looks amazing in some of these videos.

They all looked great in As Long As You Follow, but especially Christine. The whole band just looked so classy.

I remember listening to the radio one night and dj said “coming up this hour, the new song by Fleetwood Mac,” so I recorded the next several songs hoping to get it. Then a song came on and I thought for sure it was FM- it was a man singing, who I figured was Billy, and the music sounded like it could have been FM, maybe trying something new; anyway, it turned out the song was The Promise by When in Rome lol. While I love ALAYF, I kind of wonder if maybe the band should have tried something radically different for a single, like a shortened version of In the Back of My Mind.

Also, when I saw FM in Cincinnati, they performed In the Back of My Mind, Love is Dangerous, and Stand on the Rock. No Save Me, though- I was really bummed!

[moon]

During the quarantine, one year ago, Behind The Mask and Time became my most listened albums. But I enjoyed them in a very different way, just to say that Time is better than BTM. Trust me! Haha
There's really good songs, Love Is Dangerous, ITBOMM, Do You Know, Behind The Mask and, especially, When It Comes To Love. I really like this last one! I think it's a good one for the album, more if you think that Side 2 has not great songs...
The ending song is simply bad. Bad bad bad. I simply skip it, and trust me that it's rare for me to skip a FM song -except for some like Oh Daddy, Honey Hi, Beautiful Child, Storms...-.
Save Me and Skies The Limit are good, but I think they lost a lot putting them as the promotional songs of the album. The better job was inside!
Happy 31, Behind The Mask!

[SteveMacD]

Every song on BTM sounds like “All She Wants To Do Is Dance” which makes sense, since it’s the same producer.

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Every song on BTM sounds like “All She Wants To Do Is Dance” which makes sense, since it’s the same producer.

I don’t see that at all. Or hear it. Save Me and Skies the Limit are quintessential Fleetwood Mac, while Do You Know, As Long As You Follow, No Questions Asked, In the Back of My Mind, and Love is Dangerous showed fans where the new lineup was headed if they had continued. One album isn’t really enough to judge a new lineup completely, but the entire Behind the Mask album, plus Love Shines, Heart of Stone, and the 2 songs from the greatest hits album showed a lot of potential for this lineup- it just ended abruptly, so we’ll never know.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by bwboy

I don’t see that at all. Or hear it. Save Me and Skies the Limit are quintessential Fleetwood Mac, while Do You Know, As Long As You Follow, No Questions Asked, In the Back of My Mind, and Love is Dangerous showed fans where the new lineup was headed if they had continued. One album isn’t really enough to judge a new lineup completely, but the entire Behind the Mask album, plus Love Shines, Heart of Stone, and the 2 songs from the greatest hits album showed a lot of potential for this lineup- it just ended abruptly, so we’ll never know.

Agreed. I liked the BTM album and tour. It does sound dated in places, but it has a band sound. And like Macfan said, it has the rhythm section. Which I also loved the rhythm section on BuckVie, quintessential Fleetwood Mac. Sounded great.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Every song on BTM sounds like “All She Wants To Do Is Dance” which makes sense, since it’s the same producer.

Wha wha wha what?
How do you hear any of that? If only.

BTM is a bluesy slow folksy rocker. The album could have used Don Henley in a few places.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

BTM is a bluesy slow folksy rocker. The album could have used Don Henley in a few places.

Stevie has used him in at least one place.